Celtic midfielder Scott Brown has announced his retirement from international football with Scotland.
The 31-year-old, who won his 50th and final cap against Denmark in March, said he had taken the decision after suffering with injuries in recent seasons and thought he would struggle with balancing commitments for club and country.
Brown won his first Scotland cap against the United States in 2005 and went on to captain the side under Gordon Strachan in the recent disappointing Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.
"Firstly, I would like to thank Gordon for giving me the honour of not only playing for my country but captaining Scotland in the last campaign," he said.
"I also owe a debt to every Scotland manager before him who selected me - right back to Walter Smith handing me my senior debut, and the national youth coaches along the way.
"Gordon has been one of the most influential people in my career and I did not want to let him or my country down but over the summer I had a lot of thinking to do. It's no secret that I've suffered some injuries in my career and once you get over 30 you have to protect your body more, in any case.
"I'm not the type of player who can coast half-heartedly through a game - I give 100 per cent every time. Given the importance of this campaign for Scotland, and the challenges ahead at Celtic, I simply felt that I could not keep up both commitments without either my performances or recovery time suffering.
"Gordon understands this completely and I would hope the Scotland supporters understand my position, too."
Despite calling time on his international career, Brown believes Scotland are capable of reaching the World Cup in Russia in 2018 ahead of next month's opening qualifier in Malta.
"The personal disappointment of not reaching a major championship finals with my country was heightened this summer but we have a great squad of players and I am certain that we can really make a go of this campaign and qualify for Russia.
"I genuinely think we showed in the last campaign that we are good enough to compete with Germany, the world champions, and other nations who qualified ahead of us.
"I would like to thank the fans who travel across Europe to back us, my team-mates and the backroom staff for their support and look forward to seeing them soon."
Strachan, who also worked with Brown during his time in charge of Celtic, said the midfielder would be missed from the national side.
"Scott is one of the most wholehearted players I've encountered and somebody who puts the team ahead of himself. He is not the type to play within himself, either, and I understand and respect the decision he has taken," he said.
"I have huge admiration for a player as selfless as he has been: to sacrifice family time and recovery time to help his country.
"We will miss Scott as a player, no doubt about it, but football evolves and it provides an opportunity for others to step-up take that responsibility. We'll miss him as a person, too, because his influence and popularity around the squad was integral to all that we did as a group."
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers said that while it was a tough decision for Brown, it was the right call.
"It's the right decision for him. It was a very difficult decision for him as he's a passionate man about his country. He's into the final chapter of his career and he'll want to give those best times to Celtic," he said.
"When you play 60-70 games a season you need to look after your body. He's been a wonderful footballer for Scotland, 50 caps, lots of players who do that have good careers. It's sad when it comes to an end but it's good news for Celtic supporters as it means he can be physically and mentally right.
"He's entering really good years and will still be able to play but there comes a time where it can take a toll on your body. There comes a point that you've got to look at it and think; one team has to benefit here, rather than two teams suffering."